Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Here is a great local event that's worth supporting. THS' Green Team (the student-run environment club) is hosting the first (of what hopes to be an annual) Greenstock Environmental Fair on Saturday, April 11, from 1:00 - 4:00. All are welcome.

There looks to be a little bit of everything for everyone in the family: Music, food, educational exhibits, a "trashion" show (where fashion meets trash), plus some local environmental groups will set up shop to share in the event.

Hope to see you all there. Many congrats go out to all the students who worked hard to pull all this together. I continue to be inspired by the next generation of environmental stewards!

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Almost there. Only five more weeks of school, then I join the ranks of so many post-graduation MBA’s before me looking to conquer some little piece of the business world. More importantly, we’re gearing up for our third child (a.k.a. Green Baby), who arrives in tee-minus six weeks. Whew!

There are lots of things to ruminate on and get out to the masses. No time for in-depth stories, just sound bites for now:

Wind Power Taking Center Stage (Again)Over the next few weeks, I’m sure the local papers will start covering Tiverton’s new moves in the pursuit of renewable energy for the town. More information to come but in brief, Tiverton has joined with several other East Bay communities (Little Compton, Portsmouth, Bristol, Warren, Barrington) in a joint venture known as the Easy Bay Energy Consortium. I’ve was asked to be of part of the group (thank you!). We’re just getting started, but the immediate priority is to sign on to the group’s grant proposal to fund a broad-based feasibility study to locate viable wind power locations within our immediate geography. Stay tuned!

Kick-starting the GardenWell, the seeds are started and already lots of little green shoots are sprouting. We can’t wait to get out there and get the garden going again. This year, we plan to double our growing area and trying all kinds of new things (part of the Green Baby plan). Be sure to follow all the details as the season progresses at my other blog (co-written with Sara): The Gerlach Garden Journal. And with all the recent press on local food, our little patch of food independence feels so good.

Green BabyI mentioned in an earlier post that we’re trying to minimize our baby-rearing footprint with Number Three – hence, the nickname "Green Baby". It’s been interesting to think about and while a dedicated post will do more justice on the topic, here is what we’re thinking so far: Recycle clothes, furniture, toys and other items where possible; compost as many diapers as we can (we’re going with G Diapers) to limit waste; and grow as much of our baby food as possible (the shift to solids will coincide nicely with the late summer harvest). Lots to think about and we welcome any experience you might have with keeping your baby green and happy.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

There are so many things going on in and around Sakonnet that I wished I had time to write about. I do hope to find some time over the weekend to lend a few lines to some really great happenings. In the meantime, I wanted to help promote a FREE family event happening this Friday at Tiverton High School.

THS' Green Team, a student-run organization focusing on raising awareness and helping to educate fellow students on environmental issues, is hosting a family movie night. The details:

Featuring Disney/Pixar's "Wall-E"Admission is free and all members of the community are welcome; snacks and treats available

"Wall-E" is a great little movie; our kids love it. While animated, there is a great earth-friendly message tied to it. Come out for a fun night, see your neighbors, and help to support this great student organization. Hope to see you there!